TLC to host workshops on learning assessment

(Feb. 23, 2009)--The UTSA Teaching and Learning Center will host free workshops for the UTSA community by Stewart Ross, a nationally known expert on course design and learning assessment. The sessions are Thursday, Feb. 26-27 in the Biotechnology, Sciences and Engineering Building on the 1604 Campus and simulcast in the Frio Street Building at the Downtown Campus.

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The three workshops will center on course design, assignment expectations and lecture techniques. Two of the workshops will be presented twice. (See session descriptions and times below.)

Ross is founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Minnesota State University in Mankato. He has conducted numerous workshops at conferences and colleges on course design, classroom diversity and other topics related to college teaching.

His MSU program recently was honored as a CASTL Leadership College, a Carnegie Foundation program. The center's signature Faculty Teaching Certificate Program was honored in 2006 as a finalist for the Professional Organizational Developers Conference Innovation Award.

Ross earned a Ph.D. in music education from Northwestern University and was MSU director of bands for 21 years before his appointment with CETL. He has published two books and more than 40 articles in national magazines. His dissertation on mental practice and imagery was published by the Journal of Research in Music Education. Additionally, he has written 44 articles featured in the World Book encyclopedia.

The workshop on course design for participants from all higher education fields focuses on how to create courses based on significant learning inside and outside the classroom with emphasis on integrating learner goals, teaching activities and assessment of learning. This session supports the UTSA provost's critical-thinking initiative and the UTSA initiative to promote student success through targeted approaches in large classes.

The workshop will describe how to make lectures more active, collaborative and team-based. Participants will work through active-learning strategies such as icebreakers, think-pair-share, brainstorming and classroom assessment techniques. This session supports the UTSA initiative to promote student success through targeted approaches in large classes.